Yellowknife’s city council directed city staff to replace amnesty days at the landfill with one free dump trip voucher per year for local households.
At a Monday meeting, the majority of councillors present wanted to see the voucher system implemented, while a couple wanted to scrap the free amnesty days altogether.
Back in July, city staff recommended ending amnesty days, saying the initiative was “chaotic,” cost taxpayers too much, led to safety concerns, and goes against efforts to properly divert and sort waste.
After some discussion in August, councillors asked staff for more information on how a voucher system would work before making a decision.
A more detailed September briefing note explains an amnesty day can cost the city over $30,000, during which time some residents ignore proper waste disposal instructions.
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The most recent amnesty day, held this past spring, saw 672 vehicles cross the scale.
“Essentially, despite the optics of long line-ups, this additional level of service is provided only to the benefit of few residents, while the majority of taxpayers opt to pay the $16.50 fee to dispose of their additional waste,” explained the brief.
The brief alternates between suggesting households will get one or two vouchers, but city staff clarified at the Monday afternoon meeting the households would in fact get one voucher per year. Commercial vehicles will not be eligible for vouchers.
The vouchers will be good for up to 150kg of light residential waste, and waste including large appliances, propane tanks, and tires will still be subject to additional charges.
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Vouchers can be used at any point in the year during regular public solid waste facility hours, and will expire if not used by December 31.
The voucher system is expected to cost the city between $65,000 to $100,000 per year, whereas the amnesty days cost between $80,000 to $120,000 for two events.
Councillor Garett Cochrane said he believed in eventually removing the voucher system as well, but in the interim felt a transitional period using the vouchers would more gently guide residents away from the free days they’ve gotten accustomed to over the last 20 years.
Councillors Rob Foote, Rob Warburton, and Steve Payne agreed.
“I’d like to gradually move away from it, but in the meantime, I think the optics are great for the public, who are already under the perception that we’re asking for too much out of them,” said Foote.
For Councillor Ryan Fequet, the decision wasn’t about the money but about the extra work amnesty days created for the solid waste facility staff, who need to work overtime and have equipment ready to clear the influx of garbage in amongst people disposing of their waste.
Councillor Tom McLennan wanted to see amnesty days cancelled outright, and follow the recommendation made in the briefing note by staff.
“I think we need to do everything we can to create incentives for people to create less waste. The sooner we do that, the better, both from a cost of living perspective and an environmental one,” he said.
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